In power generation creating power from renewable resources is a growing industry. As the global population increases, so does the need for more power. Existing power systems struggle to meet the demand of their customers. Our environmentally conscious society, while demanding more power, also desires clean renewable sources of energy. While hydro-electric power is generated via a renewable resource, water, the effects on the environment can be devastating. Damming a river causes flooding of large areas of land, destroying the natural environment of the local area. Fish populations can be impacted if fish cannot migrate upstream to spawning grounds or if they cannot migrate downstream to the ocean.
Development of other power generating technologies have emerged from the desire for renewable energy sources, for example, the sun. Solar energy is an attractive renewable resource however, there are several disadvantages associated with implementing a solar energy system. Solar panels are expensive to purchase and costly to maintain. Installation is a challenge as a large area is needed to install the panels. Also, harnessing solar power is not ideal in northern climes where there are few hours of sunlight.
Wind farms have emerged as another method for harnessing power from a renewable resource. Large numbers of wind turbines are placed on top of hills to maximize wind flow and are prominent along the horizon, consequently they are often viewed as eyesores. Other disadvantages include intruding on birds' migrational flight paths, as they pose a risk to birds flying between the turbine blades. Also, those living near wind farms are exposed to noise which is intrusive and out of place in the country side where they are often located.
The use of bluff bodies in air or water to generate electricity is another example of a harnessing the power of renewable source of energy. In U.S. Pat. No. 7,224,077 B2, “Bluff Body Energy Converter”, for example, a bluff body mounted for rotation is disposed in a stream perpendicular to the oncoming flow. Vortices that occur about the bluff body cause it to move and an impedance matching system is employed for varying the natural frequency characteristics of the bluff body, such that it oscillates—moves back and forth—at a frequency. The disclosed bluff body energy converter comprises a complex feedback system to determine when the natural frequency characteristics of the bluff body change. Also, such a complex system often requires regular maintenance and calibration.
It would be advantageous to overcome some of the disadvantages of the prior art.